A Not So Simple Trip
by letgo
Summary: Laguna is dragged to Deling City one day by Raine and Ellone. Kiros accompanies the group, and while in the park, a woman hands them tickets to a small show that night at the hotel. They go, and Raine learns some more about Laguna. Irony included.


A Not So Simple Trip

"Raine, I don't want to," Laguna whined. Raine and Ellone had decided to go to Deling City, and they wanted Laguna and Kiros to show them around.

"Uncle Laguna!" Ellone whined. Kiros chuckled from where he stood near the door of Raine's pub. The threesome were standing in front of the stairs, and he had a good view of the argument. Laguna looked at his friend pleadingly. Kiros could almost her his friend saying, "Please! I don't want to go to Deling! Not now! Don't let them take me! HELP!"

"Come on," Kiros said as he dragged the other man outside and to the car. Ellone hopped up front; Raine joined Laguna in the back. "Hold on to something!" Kiros yelled as he gunned the car. Ellone screamed, finding it hilarious to be going so fast. Laguna, used to Kiros's driving, sat drumming his fingers on the armrest. Raine clutched her seat in terror because not even Laguna, who she referred to as a speed demon drove as fast as Kiros. The foursome were in the car for three hours before they arrived in Deling. They would have been there sooner, except Kiros had decided to make a few detours through a couple forests and plains, he wanted to show the two girls some of the continents beautiful scenery. If Kiros hadn't been attentive when they did arrive in Deling, Ellone would've run off on her own. Laguna helped Raine out, she was having a hard time standing up, her legs shaking a bit.

"Raine, I'll watch Ellone," Kiros offered.

"No, let's stay together," Raine replied.

"Yippee! Uncle Laguna, I wanna be tall!" Ellone begged. The other adults chuckled while Laguna placed Ellone on his shoulders. They set off a few moments later, Kiros and Laguna showing the other two members of their party the city. Checking into the hotel, Raine stayed behind, saying she wasn't feel well. Kiros, Laguna, and Ellone started wandering around when Laguna went back to the hotel to check on Raine. Kiros and Ellone walked by themselves around Deling City. As the two walked through the park, they ran into a young woman, holding a baby. Kiros didn't know where, but he felt that he'd seen the woman somewhere.

"Mr. Kiros, do you think Raine and Uncle Laguna are going to get married?" Ellone asked when they sat down on a bench, eyes wide and innocent.

"Well, you promise not to tell?" Kiros asked.

"I won't tell! Tell me! I won't tell! Tell me! I won't tell! Tell me!" The little girl chanted over and over. The woman, who was obviously listening in fed her baby a bottle.

"Laguna's planning on asking Raine to marry him when we get back to Winhill," Kiros told the girl. Just then, Laguna and Raine came running into the area.

"Found you guys," Raine gasped as she collapsed onto the bench. Laguna fell onto the ground, and Ellone stared to giggle. Laguna joined in, and Kiros with his weird but cool laugh joined them. Raine muttered something under her breath, than added her melodious laugh in the mix as well.

"Is your name is Laguna Loire?" The woman asked, having walked toward the merry group.

"Yeah," he answered, finding it hard to keep a straight face.

"Here, take these and go to the hotel lounge in an hour," she said, giving them four tickets before walking away, holding her baby close. The Raine and Ellone had curious looks on their faces, while the one on Laguna's was clearly puzzled. Kiros was putting it all together in his head, and he had a feeling he knew who the woman was.

The group of four returned to the hotel and in an hour's time they met right in front of the hotel lounge. The woman from earlier sat behind the piano, and Laguna's thoughts instantly turned to Julia. Raine smiled as the familiar intro to "Eyes On Me," started playing. For some odd reason, whenever she heard this song, she always thought of Laguna. The song fit him so well. It took a moment for Raine to realize that this was THE Julia Caraway.

__

"I never sang my songs  
On the stage, on my own  
I never said my words  
Wishing they would be heard  
I saw you smiling at me  
Was it real or just my fantasy?  
You'd always be there in the corner  
Of this tiny little bar,"

Julia sang. Raine was to caught up in the song, not noticing Laguna. Laguna, who'd never heard the lyrics, just the music, knew this song was about him. And he knew who the woman was. He couldn't believe it was her. It felt like some sort of dream he'd entered.

"Laguna, it's... Julia," Kiros whispered to his friend.

"I know," he whispered back.

__

"My last night here for you  
Same old songs, just once more  
My last night here with you?  
Maybe yes, maybe no  
I kind of liked it your way  
How you shyly placed your eyes on me  
Did you ever know  
That I had mine on you?"

Ellone sat watching the pretty lady, who everyone called Julia, playing and singing her song. She saw Raine with tears in the corner of her eyes, though she'd never admit to be caught crying. Laguna stared at the woman, not moving, and Mr. Kiros sat enjoying the song. She liked the song too, but she wondered why Raine was crying. Uncle Laguna and Mr. Kiros talked for a moment, and Ellone figured that they must know the lady on stage, singing her sad song.

__

"Darling, so there you are  
With that look on your face  
As if you're never hurt  
As if you're never down  
Shall I be the one for you  
Who pinches you softly but sure  
If frown is shown then  
I will know that you are no dreamer."

Laguna sat in the booth, just now noticing he was in the regular booth, he and Kiros and Ward had always sat in. He had even managed to end up in the same spot. Sitting back, he thought of that night, and how Julia told him that thanks to him, she'd write a song of her own. She was so excited, and it made him excited as well. It was like her energy and excitement rubbed off on him and made him the same. Even though they were soon able to chat like old friends, after he stopped babbling on about himself, that is. He'd been so nervous, that it wasn't even funny.

__

"So let me come to you  
Close as I want to be  
Close enough for me  
To feel your heart beating fast  
And stay there as I whisper  
How I love your peaceful eyes on me  
Did you ever know  
That I had mine on you?"

Raine sighed, enjoying the song in its full glory, as she heard it sung live The Julia Caraway. She wondered where the song had come from, it was so emotional. Every time she'd heard it, she had to cry. It was said that Julia had been in love with a young Galbadian soldier and he'd gone off, never returning. Raine couldn't imagine what she'd do if Laguna left and didn't return. He'd become such a vital part of her life. Hearing the song, sung live, really made Raine believe the story, though it was probably just a publicity thing.

__

"Darling, so share with me  
Your love if you have enough  
Your tears if you're holding back  
Or pain if that's what it is  
How can I let you know  
I'm more than the dress and the voice  
Just reach me out then  
You will know that you're not dreaming."

Kiros mentally laughed as he remembered that night. It was the last time he'd been in Deling with the guys. Ward and himself had watched as Laguna limped over to Julia, his leg cramping horribly. Later, after Laguna had had his talk with Julia, the guy wouldn't shut up. Kiros had been tempted to stick Ward's stinky socks in Laguna's mouth, if just to shut him up. Which, it did, but on the boat ride over to the Centra continent, he remembered Laguna spending hours at a time in their cabin, writing letters to his beloved Julia, hoping to post them as soon as they reached Balamb, where they were supposed to go for two weeks as relief. It'd come right before they'd left Deling, about the time they'd boarded the ship, in fact.

__

"Darling, so there you are  
With that look on your face  
As if you're never hurt  
As if you're never down  
Shall I be the one for you  
Who pinches you softly but sure  
If frown is shown then I will know  
that you are no dreamer."

The song ended, and the group of four stood up, as did everyone else, giving the singer a standing ovation. She bowed, and people began leaving. The only ones that remained were Julia, a man in the front row, holding the baby Julia had had with her at the park. The man said something to Julia, then left.

"Uncle Laguna, I'm tired," Ellone whispered not so quietly.

"I'll take you upstairs, okay," Raine told the little girl to bed.

"Laguna, I'm going upstairs, maybe heading over to the arcade," Kiros said as he left.

"It's been a while," he said, he could feel his leg starting to cramp.

"Yeah," she answered. The silence between the two was awkward. Neither knew what to say to the other.

"I heard you got married," Laguna offered, trying to break the silence.

"Yeah," Julia answered.

"Got tired of waiting, huh?" He asked.

"They told me you were dead," she answered, her voice getting hard and sharp.

"Oh," was all the former soldier could muster to say. "I was almost dead a while back," he supplied.

"How long?" The star asked.

"About a year and a half ago," he answered, his leg making a real pain of itself at the moment. "Is that baby you had earlier yours?"

"No, she's my niece, Quistis, Quistis Trepe," Julia supplied in.

"Laguna, Kiros told me there was something you wanted to say," Raine's voice drifted down, as she herself came.

"Really?" He asked nervously.

"You're going to ask her to marry you, aren't you?" Julia asked, wanting to know.

"Yeah, and Julia, it was really nice seeing you again," he answered, getting up and limping towards Raine, waiting expectantly.

"Do you know her?" Raine asked.

"You could say that," he grinned. They began walking up when Raine turned around. She saw Julia mouthing her to words, _"Good luck."_

The two walked upstairs, him dropping her off at her and Ellone's room.

"How do you know Julia Caraway?" Asked Raine, turning around.

"She and I talked for a few hours one night in this hotel. I was a big fan of hers, and had a giant crush on her," he replied. "I guess she liked me, too." They parted ways, though Raine left her room early the next morning, heading for a certain mansion in the city.

"Julia Caraway?" She asked.

"Yes, and you're the woman that was with Laguna last night. What was your name, I didn't catch it," Julia asked.

"Raine Leonheart," Raine replied.

"So, why did you come here?" Julia asked.

"To ask you a question," Raine replied.

"And what is your question?" Julia asked.

"Your song, Eyes On Me, what's it about?" Raine asked.

"Laguna, and what I felt for him," Julia replied with a forced smile.

"That's what I wanted to know," Raine replied. "Good bye," she said to the woman who had once loved the love of her life.

"No, not good bye, good luck," Julia called out. _'From what I can see, you're the perfect person for Laguna. I could never had been with him, we're too different. I just hope he doesn't break your heart like he broke mine. You're too good a person, Raine Leonheart. I wish you luck.'_

A/N: Well, I've revised the story, and made it better. This is one story I think will just keep getting revised over and over again until I either, decide to stop revising because I like it. Or, I find it perfect. Or, I decide to stop revising it because I'm sick of all the revisions.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Final Fantasy VIII people/places/adn or/things. I have used them in a story of mine that I hope fits in along the Final Fantasy 8 timeline. I also do not own the song Eyes On Me. It is owned by people other than myself.

I do have the game FF8 at my house though, and I'm trying to beat Fujin and Raijin, but am failing miserably each time.


End file.
